


5 Dresses

by Clare_Spradley_I



Category: H2O: Just Add Water
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-15 21:21:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29070963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clare_Spradley_I/pseuds/Clare_Spradley_I
Summary: As long as Zane had known her, she had always preferred shorts or pants. He loved her regardless of what she wore but he loved her in a dress. Five times Rikki wore a dress in front of Zane. Mostly from Zane's POV.
Relationships: Zane Bennett/Rikki Chadwick
Kudos: 26





	1. The Red Dress

**The Red Dress**

He had been going on about mermaids when she spotted the dress in the window. In retrospect, she probably used the dress to take their conversation in another direction and wouldn’t have pointed it out if they had been talking about anything else. It was a form-fitted, sexy red dress covered in lace that he might have pegged for someone like Miriam but not for Rikki.

“Don’t start thinking you know everything about me,” She had warned him. Oh, how little he knew indeed. “I like dressing up sometimes, when I’m in the mood.”

“Then go try it on.” He suggested. He had been with Miriam previously and he had spent a majority of their mall dates sitting outside a dressing room. This wouldn’t be new to him. Besides, Rikki likely only wanted to try on one thing so that would be quick and easy and, if he was being honest with himself, he really wanted to see her in that dress.

“No way,” she had protested to his dismay. Her phone also started ringing which usually signaled their date was over. “By the time I could afford that dress I’d be too big to fit into it.”

He loved her humor. Miriam and all the other girls he dated were so obsessed with their appearance, it was refreshing to date someone more down to earth like Rikki. Not that she didn’t care at all but she’d be more concerned about getting her personality in line than spending hours in front of a mirror.

“Hey, that was Em.” She said after she got off her phone. “She wanted to meet up to talk about something so I’ll catch you later?”

“Sure,” Zane replied, wrapping his arm around her waist to pull her in for a kiss. “I’ll see you around.”

Zane watched as Rikki walked off, sit standing by the store window. He hoped she wouldn’t turn around to still see him there but she seemed pretty determined to get where she needed to go. Once she was out of view, he slipped into the shop to ask about the red dress in the window. The price didn’t really matter; he was going to walk out of the store with it no matter what. He located it on a hanger and hoped he got the right size; it wouldn’t do him any good if he didn’t. He asked the lady at the counter if she could wrap it in a box for him so he could present it to Rikki as a gift. He just didn’t know when she would wear it. She’d be a little too overdressed in it for their mall dates or their walks on the beach. He figured he’d find a time soon but not as soon as his dad made it when he asked him to bring Miriam to a business lunch. Zane made the swap for Rikki.

“Happy Birthday.” He said as he presented her with the box. She was sitting alone on the beach which wasn’t a rarity for her. Anyone else he knew, he’d think something was wrong.

“It’s not my birthday.” She had protested. He figured as much.

“Don’t argue, it’s a present.” He said as he settled down in the sand next to her.

He watched with great satisfaction as her jaw dropped and she realized what the gift was.

“You bought the dress!” She exclaimed, with a large smile on her face. She pulled it out of the package and held it up to her body. Thankfully it looked like he got the right size. “Thank you.” She said as she reached up to hug him.

“So, do you think you’re in the mood to wear it now?” He asked. He doubted she’d be over-the-moon excited to go to his dad’s business lunch but he hoped she wouldn’t protest too much.

“What did you have in mind?” She asked.

“Well, I-“ Zane started. “I know it’s not the most desirable thing but my dad’s having a business lunch today and he asked me to bring a date so I thought I’d bring you."

“Wow, what fun.” She replied back, sarcastically. “Although I suppose you have to go either way.”

“Yeah,” Zane stated, gesturing to his fancier than normal clothes. “Who knows, you might get a chance to tell him off again?”

“Well that’s an opportunity I wouldn’t dare pass up.” She said.

They walked back up the beach and she told him she would meet him at his house. She needed to run home and grab some shoes that would match the dress better than the converses she was wearing. Zane decided to wait at the beach. He knew he was late and if he was at home and his dad caught him in the house, he’d make Zane come outside with the rest of the guests leaving Rikki to make an entrance by herself which he was sure she didn’t want.

It didn’t take her long to come back with the dress and a pair of red, heeled sandals he never would have guessed she owned in her hands. They walked to his house where he lead her to the nearest bathroom to change. At least this way he could tell his dad she was just getting ready for the lunch, not unlike the women his dad brought to events. He didn’t suspect Rikki would take half as long as those women did to ready.

She was only in the bathroom for a few minutes before she exited in her dazzling red dress. She wore red often and he loved the color on her; it matched her personality perfectly. She also picked out the perfect dress for her body. It seemed to grab her at all the right places. The shoes she picked out and the necklace she had been wearing matched perfectly and she let her hair down of it’s bun it had been in earlier that day. She was absolutely beautiful and it was his turn for his jaw to drop.

“Well?” She asked, Zane noticed for the first time she looked a bit uncomfortable. “How do I look?”

“Stunning.” He replied, instantly and honestly. She’d be the hottest one at the lunch and she was his. How lucky was he?

She let a smile slip on her face. It seemed his response was all she needed to get her usual confidence back.

“Let’s go ruin a lunch then.” She said as she grabbed his hands and lead him out to the patio.


	2. The Pink Dress

**The Pink Dress**

"We shouldn't stay too much longer." Emma said. "Tonight's a full moon. The three of us should be heading to my place soon."

The three mermaid girls as well as the two boys who knew their secret identity were at Rikki's house enjoying a cookout as they often did there. Her house was right by the beach and if her dad had taught her one thing, it was how to make some delicious barbecue on their grill.

"I think I'm going to stay here tonight." Rikki said.

"Why don't you want to come with us?" Cleo asked. "We always have a sleepover at the full moon."

"I'm just going to hang out with my dad tonight." Rikki replied. "He's been working a lot of late shifts and he should be home any minute now."

"Do you think that will be wise?" Emma asked. "What if you see the moon?"

"I could always camp outside?" Lewis offered. "No." All three girls snapped, causing Zane to laugh.

"I'll be fine." Rikki said. "I'll close up all the windows and stay inside. I don't think we'll do too much anyway."

Cleo and Emma seemed convinced then. Whether it was because they thought she'd be safe or they figured they couldn't win an argument with the stubborn Rikki was unknown but they didn't push it further. The two girls along with Lewis left her trailer not fifteen minutes later leaving Zane behind to say goodbye to Rikki on his own, nothing out of the ordinary.

"I can't believe you lied to them like that." Zane said with a mischievous smile on his face as he followed Rikki into her empty home once the others were out of sight.

"It wasn't exactly a lie." Rikki said as she went into her room and threw some final items into her backpack. Zane usually waited for her to pack her overnight bag in the living room but her bedroom was a straight shot from where he was standing. He could have sworn he saw her stuff something small, pink and silky in her her bag that made him excited like a kid on Christmas.

"How was that not a lie?" Zane asked. "I plan on telling them everything." Rikki said. "When the time is right."

"Well I hope you'll leave some details to yourself." He said as she threw her backpack onto her shoulder.

"Don't flatter yourself," she replied, coming out into the living room and grabbing a jacket with a hood to shield herself from the moon, just in case. "They wouldn't want to know everything anyway."

Zane and Rikki had been intimate for a few months now and they quickly found they couldn't get enough of each other. They didn't plan for anything to happen but Rikki had snuck into his room one night after a fight with the girls. He had comforted her and one thing seemed to lead to another. It wasn't as perfect as the movies had played it out to be as neither of them knew exactly what they were doing but it was special to them nonetheless. Since then, they had been attempting to find excuse after excuse to be with each other. Zane had once pulled her away from her friends at the JuiceNet to see if she could 'help him with his bike' and she had once sent the other girls on a wild goose chase for Lewis so she and Zane could use the moon pool without being interrupted. It was becoming a fun game of theirs. Now, her dad was working late and Zane's dad was out of town on a business trip so everything seemed to line up perfectly. Neither of them loved that it was a full moon but it wasn't like they were planning on leaving the bed anyway.

Zane's house wasn't incredibly far from Rikki's so they got there in no time. Just like they had expected, the house was empty but they didn't care to explore, deciding to rush up to Zane's bedroom.

"Why don't you secure the room from the full moon and I'll get my surprise ready for you?" Rikki said after they had a small make out session on the floor of his room.

"A surprise, huh?" Zane asked with another cheeky smile. He had the feeling he would be giving her a lot of those tonight.

"Just thought I'd mix things up a bit." Rikki shrugged as she walked into his bathroom and shut the door. Zane quickly made sure his curtains were closed up and no moonlight was getting in. He'd only seen Rikki under the spell of the moon once and he certainly didn't want her burning his dick off. Unfortunately for him, he did forget about the small window in his bathroom.

Rikki felt like she was in a trance until she remembered what she had come into the bathroom for. Right, she had spent her allowance on this surprise for Zane. She quickly shed her clothes and replaced them with the sexy pink number in her backpack. Zane lay on the bed waiting for Rikki to come out of the bathroom. In the past, they had been more concerned with finding an isolated place to get their thrills but now seemed like the perfect time to try something different. She was a genius and he was so, so lucky.

Rikki stepped out of the bathroom wearing something he knew she'd only wear for him. The small, pink silky dress did no favors to cover her bare legs and he suspected it didn't completely cover her ass behind her. It was cut as low as possible on her chest and when it couldn't dip anymore, a sheer pink lace was in place of the silky fabric that surely would have been there otherwise. He felt his jaw drop and his mouth go dry.

"Do you like it?" She asked in a voice he hadn't heard until a few months ago. A voice that could make him completely unravel at her command.

He didn't have anything to say to the sexy woman in front of him. He grabbed the hem of his shirt and stood up from the bed, tossing his shirt over his head as he reached her and smashed his lips into hers. As he held her, he realized the back of her dress was non-existent which only made more of his blood rush South. He was about to move her to the bed when the doorbell rang.

"Probably just some package delivery." Zane muttered against her lips and he shoved her onto the bed, hovering over her. The doorbell rang again letting Zane know he needed to answer it. He hesitantly pulled away from Rikki.

"No, no..." she muttered as she clawed onto the back of his neck.

"I just need to tell whoever's at the door to fuck off." He said as the doorbell rang for the third time. He gave her one more small peck. "I'll be back. You stay here, the windows in the living room aren't closed."

Zane sauntered down to the front door as the person rang the doorbell three more times before he got there. Somebody better be dying.

"Zane!" It was Lewis. "The hell? Where's your shirt?"

"It's my own house, Lewis." Zane replied trying not to be off-put by having to have a conversation with Lewis without a shirt on. He hadn't thought to grab one on the way down from his bedroom. "What's up?"

"It's Rikki." Lewis said. "Her dad came home from work early and was trying to call her but her phone was switched off so he called Emma instead to make sure she was with them but you and I know she's not there. Do you have any idea where she is?"

"No, I-" Zane started before he was interrupted by the girl in the pink dress.

"I'm here!" Rikki exclaimed as if she had been playing hide and seek and fooled her capturer into giving up.

Both mens' eyes went wide and no words needed to be said between them for either to read the situation. Zane slammed the door in Lewis's face, not much caring if he took offense. He figured out what he was looking for.

"What the hell was that?" Zane asked as he held onto her shoulders against the wall. She looked like she was going to burst out in giggles. Then it hit him like a ton of bricks.

"Rikki, you didn't happen to see the moon tonight, did you?" He asked her.

"Oh, you mean that moon?" She asked as she pointed to the giant windows behind her and the full moon shone into the living room.

"Shit." Zane muttered to himself. Tonight wasn't going to be as fun as he had thought.


	3. The Black Dress

**The Black Dress**

They had broken up their fourth year of high school because he was a stupid, jealous idiot. They tried to be friends after that but neither tried as hard as they should've and they drifted apart. She attempted to go to college in Gold Coast but figured it wasn't for her. She was inspired by an ad on her phone to dive for a missing antique in the ocean. She'd be much more careful searching for relics and antiques this time than she was the last. She found the missing item in the ad several miles under the surface and then found more and more and somehow managed to use her mermaid identity to create a career.

He didn't have a reason to stay in Gold Coast so he took his father's advice and went to Oxford. When he returned, he couldn't find a job and didn't have much motivation to so he started working for his dad. He never thought he'd be good at this business thing but he was now second in charge at his father's business.

They were both at the museum for the night's gala. Zane had the advantage because he knew Rikki was a keynote speaker. He remembered laughing in a cold manner when he had received the invitation that said she had become a deep-sea diver. He had debated on going but knew he couldn't bring a date. Thankfully he was single at the time anyway. His father had convinced him to go, saying it was a good opportunity.

"It's not all about the business, Dad." Zane had said to him at the time.

"I wasn't just talking about the business." Harrison had replied. "Maybe you just need some closure."

Zane was beginning to think his dad was right. Maybe he just needed to meet up with Rikki a few more times. He had been incredibly hesitant to get into any relationship with strings attached or labels since high school and a part of him knew it was because of Rikki. Why else would he have gone broke to buy and protect Mako Island from rich investors?

He walked into the ballroom at the museum alone. He usually brought a date with him so it was awkward at first but then he started seeing people he knew from work and other functions like this and he started to feel more comfortable. He kept conversations with them, all the while looking for a flash of white blonde hair before he found it heading to the bar in a black dress.

He laughed internally as he saw her. She dressed the part of socialite well but he knew she'd still be rebellious however subtly she could. Her dress almost came down to her knees at it's longest point but was at her mid-calf at it's shortest.

Just like the red dress.

The top of the dress was a tank top style but still very business appropriate. He did notice the center of the dress had a silt in it and was somewhat low-cut.

Just like the pink dress.

He didn't know if he had to shake these memories from his brain or use them to get closure. He did know he had to talk to her when she was alone, like she was now.

"Quite an event, Ms. Chadwick," he said as he approached her. He could tell she was annoyed and wanted to be left alone but turned around to talk shop with him anyway. That is until she saw who was standing behind her and nearly choked on her drink.

"I-" she started, clearly shocked that he was here. "What are you doing here?"

"I got invited." Zane replied simply. "And I thought I'd come hear about the adventures of the deep-sea diver of our generation."

"Well, it's not much that you don't know." She said quietly. "Minus the relics. Although I haven't used crates to lift anything in a while."

She was joking with him. That was a good sign wasn't it? She was starting to feel more comfortable.

"Fair enough." Zane had replied with a chuckle. "So about that-"

"Ms. Chadwick." He was interrupted by a small man wearing all black and carrying a clipboard. He must have been part of the event staff. "We need you backstage for rehearsals now."

"Right." She replied as she left her drink at the bar and went to stand up. "It was great seeing you again, Zane. I'll be back after the speech and we can talk then."

He watched as she was lead back by the man to what he knew to be a holding room. It wasn't the first time he had come to a gala at this museum.

About twenty minutes later, Zane was settled at his table when the presentation for the night had gotten started. Someone came up to thank everyone for their time and money, essentially and then made an introduction for Rikki. It all seemed to happen so fast but also in slow motion. As Rikki so expertly walked across the small stage, a waiter was carrying a large tray of drinks had tripped, basically tossing the liquids on Rikki. It vaguely reminded him of the time he was having a great pool game at the JuiceNet and crashed into her while celebrating, causing her to spill all the drinks onto herself. Thankfully she ran to the fridge before anyone caught her. The only problem was there wasn't a fridge this time.

Suddenly he was sixteen again, dashing across the room to get to Rikki. He took her hand and pulled her off-stage as she ran with him, seemingly trusting him with wherever he was taking her. He had been to this museum plenty of times before and knew there was a bathroom across from the astrology exhibit that hopefully wasn't closed for this event. As soon as he closed the door, he felt her transform for the first time in years.

They were both panting from running so quickly. He was glad he thought to lock the door because they were soon met when pounding and men yelling "Ms. Chadwick, Ms. Chadwick" over and over.

"Thanks." She finally said and started to dry herself off.

"No problem." Zane replied. "I guess you could have just done that."

"Yeah, but this is more fun." Rikki said. "I love what I do but I hate these stupid events."

"Tell me about it." He replied as she finished drying off and transformed back into her human form. He too, loved his work but hated having to put a face on for events like these.

"What if we just left?" She suggested, motioning to a window on the side of the bathroom.

"You're serious?" He asked.

"Yeah," she said. "You wanted to catch up right? Why don't we leave and just go walk on the beach like we used to?"

Zane had to admit, that sounded way better than going back to that stuffy gala. He might get in trouble for it later but who's to say when he was going to see Rikki again.

After they climbed out the window, they ran too his car before anyone could notice them and drove out to the beach. The sun was starting to set so the water was a beautiful orange color. There didn't seem to be too many people on the beach which was perfect.

Walking on the beach with Rikki felt so normal he thought he might have been dreaming. When they were younger, they'd usually walk with their arms around each other but that didn't seem appropriate now. That was until she grabbed his hand in hers and he realized how much he still wanted her.

They talked about anything and everything they had been through since they had seen each other last. He learned Rikki was a vegetarian and he told her he played in a rugby league from work since she noticed how fit he had become, with a small blush that didn't pass him by. They also reminisced from their time as teenagers. They talked about the dance she and the other girls had disappeared from and the their failed cafe. He never thought he could laugh about that and how silly of an idea it was and especially not with her but time seemed to heal all wounds.

He didn't know if he made the first move or if she did but they were now walking with their arms around each other just like they used to. Zane wasn't quite sure how long they were walking but they decided it was time to take a seat in the cool sand. He kept his arm around her shoulder and she didn't protest.

"Is it weird that this still feels normal?" she asked after a few moments of silence.

"I don't know." Zane had replied. "And if it's all right with you, I don't really care."

"Yeah." Rikki had said softly and nodded her head before his lips captured hers.

He felt alive again for the first time in years and he knew he didn't want closure.


	4. The White Dress

**The White Dress**

They had been back together for over a year now when he was sitting with her at one of their favorite bars by the beach. They had long since traded their usual juice cafe hang out for something a little more strong. He was wearing a simple white button down with black dress slacks and shoes and she was wearing a white dress with a mesh overlay, whimsical details throughout the outer layer and a pair of white heels. They were a bit dressed up for their average Saturday but he supposed this wasn't an average Saturday.

They had talked about getting married before, simply coming to the conclusion it was something they both wanted to do in the future. He hoped with every power in his being that he would marry Rikki someday but he didn't know if they had been back together long enough for it to be appropriate.

That morning they had woken up and decided to take their lunch to the moon pool. They talked about this and that while they ate before Rikki decided to jump in the moon pool and Zane had followed her, fully clothed. They splashed each other with water like they were five years old. Zane 'captured' her in his arms and they quickly retired to just holding each other in the moon pool. Zane had moved them to the ledge at the edge of the pool where they could easily sit in the water. He held her in his arms, felt the unique feeling of her tail against his legs and feet and knew this was a feeling he never wanted to let go.

"Marry me." He had muttered just loud enough for her to hear before he could stop himself.

"What?" She had replied, not sure if she had heard him right. It had slipped out but he meant it and he didn't want to take it back.

"Marry me." He simply repeated again.

"You're not serious?" She said as she moved out of his arms to look him in his eyes.

"I am serious." He said. "I love you and I want to be with you for the rest of our lives. I suppose it's obvious I hadn't really thought out a proposal but I don't care, if you're fine with it. I want to marry you."

She just stared at him for a long moment, hardly blinking or breathing. She didn't look happy, sad, mad or nervous. She just looked...neutral?

"You're serious." She finally muttered.

"Yes." Zane said back in the same quiet tone. He loved her and clearly caught her off guard but he wished she would give him answer.

Instead, she leaned in to kiss him. It was soft at first but she wrapped her arms around his neck and he wrapped his arms around her waist as they deepened the kiss. This seemed like a good sign.

"Yes." She said when they finally broke the kiss. He had been in such a daze from their little make out session in the moon pool he had almost forgotten what she had just said yes to. He simply held her closer, if possible, than before.

"Under one condition." She followed up. Of course there was a catch but he'd do anything she wanted.

"What's that?" He asked.

"I want to get married today." She said.

"Your friends are going to be upset." He replied. He could get married to her today.

"I don't care." She said.

"Okay then," He replied as he removed his arm from around her and started making his way out of the moon pool. "We'll have to leave now if we want to do it today."

"That's fine with me." She said as she leaned up on the ledge. He leaned back down to give her a kiss. He didn't think he'd go to bed tonight with Rikki Chadwick as his wife.

He collected everything they had brought for their lunch date in their picnic basket and headed out of the tunnel to his two-seater boat. He swore he saw a pulse of water fly out of the moon pool as soon as he arrived on the beach and he smiled to himself.

Once Zane had gotten back to their house, Rikki was in the bathroom, likely getting ready for their big day. He went into their bedroom and tossed on the outfit he was currently wearing at the bar. She stepped out of the bathroom in the white dress he had gotten for her, just because. They had spotted it in a shop window when they were out earlier in their relationship and she no longer had to make a point of stopping to tell him she liked the dress, he could tell by the look in her eyes. He had come back a few days later, bought it and gave it to her if she wanted to wear it for one of the galas they hated but often attended. He was pretty sure neither thought it would be her wedding dress.

"You've always been good at picking out dresses for yourself." He told her as she grabbed his hand and pulled him in for a kiss.

"You've always been good at surprising me with them." She said back. "Are you ready to go?"

"Almost," he said as he reached into his nightstand drawer for something. He presented her with a small, black velvet box.

"Just so nobody gets confused." He said as he handed it to her.

He watched as Rikki opened the box to reveal a silver ring with a band design that reminded him of sea kelp with a ruby stone in the center bordered by two smaller diamonds. Her mouth dropped as she looked at the ring.

"When did you get this?" She asked as he took the box back from her, removed the ring and went to place it on her ring finger where it would stay for all eternity.

"Three days after we got back together." He replied.


	5. The Blue Dress

**The Blue Dress**

When Zane got out of the shower in his hotel, he found his wife was still asleep. He smiled to himself as he knew she wasn't getting much sleep lately. At least for the last nine months or so.

They hadn't been trying to have a baby, it just happened. They discussed their options briefly but they knew they wanted to keep it and become parents. They were married, they had stable jobs, they could do this.

He slowly snuck back into their bed and placed a hand on her large belly. He felt a their baby kick his hand back and he smiled to himself. According to Rikki, their baby seemed to respond to him when he was around them. He could just be talking and the baby would give some sort of kick or let Rikki know he or she (they didn't know the sex yet) was excited their dad was near.

He felt Rikki start to shift a bit as she must have been waking up. She rolled onto her back and looked up at the ceiling.

"Good morning, love." He said to her.

"Good morning." She replied back, turning her head to look at him. "That was the best night's sleep I've had in a while."

"That's good." Zane replied and got off the bed to help her stand up. "I suppose you're feeling all right then?"

"Yeah, I couldn't be better." She said once she stood up. Once Rikki's belly had started becoming too big to be between the two of them, they had to figure out someway to kiss. Luckily, after a few months' practice, they were pros. She shifted to the side to give her husband a kiss.

"I wish this trip didn't have to be over." She told him.

"You'd end up having the baby here if we stayed." Zane laughed.

"That doesn't sound as bad as you're making it sound." Rikki said back.

"For you sure," he said. "For me, I'll have to worry about a new set of doctors not dumping water on you."

"That's true." She said. "I wonder what would happen if I went into labour as a mermaid?"

"Don't put that thought into my head." Zane had requested. He was starting to panic about everything enough as it was.

Rikki wasn't able to continue diving in her pregnancy. She had read it wasn't good for the baby and didn't want to risk it. Thankfully, she and Zane had enough saved up and he could keep working through her pregnancy. She had scared him to death last week when she called him saying she thought she was going into labour. He had sped home only for their birthing team to tell them it was false contractions. She had suggested they take a baby-moon trip nearby to get their minds off of everything and just focus on their last few days together. It had been a great trip but Zane was itching to get home. Especially after Rikki complained of some back pains last night.

He watched as she waddled into the bathroom to get ready for their trip back home. Zane had only agreed to go on a trip if they stayed within a half hour of their home just in case. They had planned on having a home birth so they were in control of the environment. And the amount of water that would be near. As long as they were home when she went into labour, he would be okay.

Rikki exited the bathroom almost a half hour later wearing a blue t-shirt dress and sandals. Toward the end of her pregnancy, she had preferred wearing dresses as they didn't dig into her stomach as much. He knew she liked pants and shorts much more but he always loved seeing her in a dress.

"You ready to head back?" Rikki asked with a heavy sigh.

"Yeah," Zane replied before looking up to see an odd look on her face. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know how you can be even moderately attracted to me when I look like this." She said as she moved her hand to the underside of her belly.

"Are you kidding?" Zane asked as he moved away from their luggage. "I've never found you more attractive."

"Sure." Rikki said, rolling her eyes and looking out the window.

"I'm serious." He said as he grabbed her free hand. "You're having our baby, of course you get more and more beautiful every day."

He thought he saw a silver of a smile from her before she squeezed his hand and a pained look came over her face. Oh no.

"Rikki?" He asked. "Are you all right?"

"Mmhm." She nodded, biting her lip. "Just a bit of a cramp is all."

"Are you sure?" He asked after a moment. The grip she had on his hand started to loosen and she walked out of the doorway.

"Yes, I'm fine." She said as she grabbed a small bag. He wanted to carry everything but Rikki was still as prideful as ever so they compromised; he'd carry their suitcases and she'd carry any small bags they couldn't fit inside.

"All right." He replied, not entirely convinced. "Do you want to check out while I get the car started?"

"Sure," she said ask she leaned up to kiss him again then they left their hotel room.

Zane loaded their luggage into the trunk of his car and pulled it to the front of the hotel. He was sure he was going to hear from Rikki about how she could have walked to where they had parked their car but he didn't really care. She would just have to deal with him being chivalrous.

A few minutes after he had pulled up to the front of the hotel, he saw her coming out the front doors, giving him a look that told him he was right about her giving him a hard time. He rolled her window down so she could give him a hard time quicker.

"You didn't have to pull the car around, you know." She said leaning one hand against the car. He looked on with a knowing smile. "I could've-"

She let out a small groan and that was all he needed to sprint of the car to her other side.

"Rikki?" He asked as he grabbed her hand. She squeezed it again like she had earlier today. Whatever pain this was, it only lasted a minute before she let his hand go.

"Rikki, you don't think-" he started before she cut him off.

"I'm fine." She waved him off. "I get cramps like that all the time. Why don't we just go home?"

He couldn't argue with that. If she was in labour, they needed to get home quickly. He wouldn't know what to do if she started actually having the baby on the ride home.

She had one more "cramp" on the road a few moments later. She didn't grab for him and he could tell whatever it was wasn't hurting her too badly. At least not yet. The thought of that made him press the gas a little harder.

"What are you driving so fast for?" Rikki asked.

"I want to get you home." He said. "And then I think we should call our birthing team to make sure everything's okay."

"Zane, I wouldn't bother calling them," she said. "I told you, I've just been having cramps today and-"

"I'd just feel better if they checked you out is all." He interrupted her.

"Oh, come on," she whined. "I'm not some weak woman who-"

"I know you're not weak." He interrupted her again. "But even the brave women get their doctors or whoever together when they give birth!"

"Zane-"

"I just want to get you check out is all."

"Zane-"

"And if I'm wrong then I'm wrong and we can go about our day, is that too much to ask?"

"Zane-"

"What?"

"I think my waters just broke." She told him with a panicked look on her face.

"Well...fuck." He muttered to himself as he pressed on the gas again, passing cars in the lanes beside him.

"What if I turn into a mermaid?" Rikki said. He was about to snap at her for putting that idea into his head again but then he looked over at her and saw she still looked very panicked and scared. If he got mad at her for that, they'd certainly get into an argument which wouldn't help matters. He knew he needed to do his best to keep Rikki calm and support her through this process.

"It's been ten seconds, hasn't it?" He asked after a moment.

"Yeah." She replied in a strained voice. He looked over again and saw her face was scrunched up and he figured she was probably having another contraction. This one seemed to hurt her more than the others had. He extended his hand to her and reminded her to breathe.

"Do you think you can call the birthing team?" He asked her.

"Yeah, I think so." She replied, out of breath. That last contraction must have really knocked the wind out of her.

Rikki grabbed her purse and found her phone to call the team. She let them know of their situation and they said they would meet them at their house soon.

Another four contractions went by before they pulled into the driveway. Zane felt better now; at least they were home. It didn't look like their birthing team had arrived yet but Rikki had told them they were twenty minutes away and he managed to get them back in about fifteen minutes. He went to help her out of the car when another contraction hit her. He hadn't realized until now how sweaty she had gotten on the car ride back and he briefly wondered if it had anything to do with her powers. She was moaning through this one unlike the others and she squeezed his hand even harder. He knew Rikki was strong but he didn't really understand how strong until now. He brushed his free hand through her hair and fed her supporting words.

"Are you all right to walk up to the bedroom?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She said. "God, this hurts so much."

"Well, we're home now and it'll be over soon."He said as he kissed her forehead.

He followed behind her as she made her way up to their bedroom. She managed to get comfortable just as another contraction hit. She squeezed his hand so hard he thought it was going to break and she let out a scream. He had never seen her quite like this before and wanted nothing more than to take at least a fraction of her pain for himself. He had to remind himself this wasn't all for nothing, they'd have a baby at the end of this.

Fuck, he hadn't realized that. He'd been so worried with getting Rikki back home, he didn't think about how they would probably have a baby within the next few hours. They'd have a little son or daughter, Rikki would be a mother and he'd be a father.

Fucking hell.

The door bell rang a few minutes later. Zane left Rikki to go get what was surely their birth team. He was correct and he let them into the home and guided them up the stairs where Rikki was. He could tell she was already exhausted and had barely been in labour for an hour. He couldn't imagine how she and other women could do this for hours let alone days. He sat beside her on the bed and wrapped his arm around her shoulder and she leaned into his chest while their doctor examined her.

"Well, it looks like you're definitely in labour." Her doctor, Abernathy, said. No shit, Zane thought. "You're only three centimeters dilated though so still pretty early on."

Rikki let out a defeated groan as if she had hoped the doctor would have said it was time for her to push. It broke Zane to see her like this.

"You're sure?" Zane asked as if he was suddenly questioning their doctor's abilities.

"Yes, I'm sure Mr. Bennett." He replied. "We still have a good while to go more than likely. We can stay at your home but if you guys would like some privacy, we can certainly take up another room and check back periodically."

"That would be great, yeah." Zane had said and showed Dr. Abernathy and his assistant, Hilary to the living room, also offering them free reign of the kitchen before he returned to Rikki.

Hours passed and they still didn't have a baby. It was dark outside and their birthing team was downstairs, waiting just like them. Zane didn't dare leave Rikki's side and did whatever she asked of him, whether it was rubbing her back or walking around the house with her to try to speed the process up. He didn't even realize he had fallen asleep on the chair he moved into their room until he heard a soft yelp.

"How long was I out?" Zane asked Rikki. She was propped up on her elbows, breathing heavily in her blue dress. He cursed himself silently for falling asleep while she was doing all of this.

"Not long." She said. She didn't sound mad. "It's almost 9:00. Dr. Abernathy just checked in. He said I'm nine centimeters dilated so we're getting close."

"That's good." He replied. "Sorry, I fell asleep."

"That's okay." She said. "I was asleep for a bit too. Until I had a contraction that woke me up. This baby better be worth it."

"I'm sure it will be, love." He replied, placing a hand on her swollen belly.

"You're going to be such a good father." She said. He looked to her face to see new tears had formed in her eyes.

"I don't know about that." Zane said. "I haven't had the best role model in that department."

"But that's why you'll be so good!" She protested. "You know what it's like to have a shitty dad and I know you'd do everything in your power to not be that way."

"Well by that logic, you'd be the best mum." Zane said.

Rikki looked like she was going to protest but another contraction rocked her body. Zane grabbed her hands and he swore he felt a bone or two in his own hands snap.

"Fucking hell!" She screamed as she tried to breathe through the contraction. Zane tried again to whisper supportive words to her and he moved behind her so she could lay on his chest.

Just as the contraction ended, Dr. Abernathy and his staff entered the room to examine Rikki.

"Looks like we're getting ready to push." He said. Zane felt a sense of relief. Rikki's pain was almost gone.

"You hear that, love?" He whispered into her ear. "Time to push."

He felt Rikki nod against him and saw a small smile form on her face. She was ready for this to be over, probably more than he was.

Dr. Abernathy told her to push during her next contraction. If Zane's hands weren't broken before, they definitely were now. They seemed to go on this cycle of Rikki pushing, Dr. Abernathy telling her to stop and start again for what felt like hours. Zane spent that time whispering words of encouragement into Rikki's ear. He knew he kept telling her he loved her and he hoped she could tell how much he meant by that. He knew he loved her yesterday, the day they got married, they day they reunited, the night they spent at his dad's house with her influenced under the full moon and even the day she pointed out that red dress but none of that compared to the love he felt for her right now.

Dr. Abernathy gave updates when he could. He let them know he could see the head, when she had passed it and finally the shoulders and the rest of their baby made it out. The room was filled with shrill cries and Zane felt like he could cry too. Rikki was still grabbing onto his hands as Dr. Abernathy presented their baby to them and he felt her burst into tears immediately.

"Congratulations." He said. "You have a healthy baby boy."

Zane felt a new rush of affection for the little baby in front of him. He had a son. A beautiful little boy that was part him, part Rikki. As far as he was concerned, he was the most perfect thing in the universe.

Dr. Abernathy beckoned Zane forward to cut the cord. He gently let Rikki lay down on the bed as he moved to do so. Dr. Abernathy wrapped the baby in a small blanket and handed him to Zane. After much arguing with their doctor, Rikki and Zane had somehow convinced him to let Zane wash the baby off when he or she was born. They told Dr. Abernathy Rikki had a water allergy but they wanted to be sure Rikki's mermaid identity wasn't heredity. She had hoped and prayed it wasn't as she knew how difficult it was to keep the secret and finding the right people to trust with it. How were they going to train their baby to do the same?

Zane had left the room with his newborn son to take him into the bathroom and give Dr. Abernathy a chance to make sure Rikki was recovering well. He made a shallow bath in their sink and placed the baby in it, making sure to thoroughly wash off the gunk that covered him.

It quickly became apparent to Zane his son was not a merman. He let out a breath of relief he didn't know he was holding. As he continued to wash him, he realized just how beautiful he was. He had Zane's brown hair but it was curly like Rikki's. He seemed to have his complexion too. After he was cleaned, he had opened his eyes and Zane was staring into ocean blue eyes that were the same as the boy's mother.

"Hey, mate." He said softly, vaguely aware he should probably take the baby out of the bathroom to Rikki. "I'm your dad. I just want to let you know right now, whatever you need for the rest of your life I'll be here for you. And so will your mum. She's going to be the best mum, you'll be so lucky to have her.

"I guess we should go meet her, yeah?" He continued.

Once Zane walked out of the bathroom, Dr. Abernathy insisted on taking the boy to make sure he was healthy. He supposed he couldn't resist but he felt bad Rikki would be the last person in the room to hold her own son.

"She's recovering well." Hilary, the assistant informed Zane about Rikki. "I can leave you two for a few moments if you would like. I can come back up when Dr. Abernathy is done with your son."

"Yeah, that'd be great, thanks." Zane said.

Rikki looked like she had just run a million miles and collapsed on their bed. As far as he was concerned, she might as well have. She was so incredibly brilliant. He found himself wondering how he had lucked out with her often but never to this magnitude.

"You were phenomenal, love." He said as he sat across from her and ran a hand through her damp her. It was odd to do that with her not in her mermaid form. "You were absolutely brilliant."

"Thanks." She replied with a smile. "How is he?"

"They're checking him out now." Zane said. "He seemed healthy from what I saw. And he has no reaction to water."

"Thank god." She exhaled. She was still trying to catch her breath but he could tell she was incredibly happy about that.

Dr. Abernathy and the team had re-entered the room with the boy of the hour.

"8 pounds, 7 ounces, 21 inches." Dr. Abernathy said. "He seems perfectly healthy to me. I'll let Hilary help you get set up with breastfeeding and then we'll give you some privacy unless you need anything else from us."

Zane had stood to take the baby out of Dr. Abernathy's hands and give him to Rikki.

"Look what we did." He said to her, still in awe of the perfect baby. Rikki let out a small gasp as a new, heavy amount of tears came streaming down her face. Zane couldn't tell if it was her sleep deprivation, hormones or just the impact of the situation that was making her so emotional. He guessed a combination of them all. He certainly wasn't immune to it.

As Dr. Abernathy had said, Hilary helped Rikki learn how to breastfeed the new baby. They both seemed to take to it well and soon it was just the new family in the house, sitting in silence.

"He's so perfect." Rikki whispered after a moment as not to wake the new baby.

Zane nodded in agreement. "Worth the pain then?"

"A million times over." She replied as she stroked the little boy's cheek. "He's got your hair."

"Just the color." Zane replied. "It's curly like yours. And he has your eyes."

"I suppose his does." Rikki said with a sigh. "I could just fall asleep right here."

"Why don't you?" Zane asked. "I can take care of the baby, you've had a long day."

Rikki nodded against him. It didn't seem like she wanted to argue.

"All right." She replied, doing her best to sit up. He could tell she was still in pain from the birth.

"I'm going to move his crib in here." Zane said. "Then I'll be back and you can go to sleep."

He felt her tug gently at his hand that was still sore from the events earlier.

"I love you." Rikki said. They exchanged that phrase often but it seemed to have a different impact as he looked down at the woman who was still covered in sweat, eyes were red from crying in pain and happiness. The woman who was holding their new son and had worked so hard, not only today, but for the last nine months to make sure he was healthy.

He bent down to give her a kiss and hoped he was able to translate how much he loved her into it. When he pulled away, he glanced down at the perfect boy in her arms before turning his attention back to her.

"I love you, too." He said.

Moments later, the smaller crib they had purchased was set up at the foot of their bed. Zane took the baby from Rikki and gently placed him in the crib for the night. The boy barely made a sound as he laid him down.

Not long after Rikki fell asleep, Zane decided it was time for him to get ready for bed too. He was in the middle of brushing his teeth when he heard the baby start to make some fussing noises in the other room. He quickly moved to the crib, picked him up and took him downstairs as not to wake Rikki.

Zane checked his son for the usual signs of being upset. His nappy wasn't dirty, he didn't seem to need to spit anything up. He hoped he wasn't hungry because then he'd have to wake Rikki for that. He knew she wouldn't mind and he would surely have to do it at some point but he hoped she could sleep through at least this night, uninterrupted. It seemed the only thing the little boy wanted was attention as he seemed to fall back asleep on Zane's shoulder.

Once he was sure the baby was asleep, Zane tiptoed up the stairs and laid the baby down in his crib. He looked so peaceful sleeping in his crib. It might be too early to tell but Zane could have sworn their baby had Rikki's lips too. He smiled softly and the sleeping baby and then looked up at the sleeping woman in the blue dress. This was his family now.

How fucking lucky was he?


End file.
